The Lady from Williamsburg
by Stolen Cookie the Phone Writer
Summary: She was a Lady, married to a man she didn't love and forced to be silent. It wasn't until her sapphire eyes met with his brown ones that she finally found what she was looking for. Connor/OC takes place in ACIII storyline but in times where it doesn't interfere.
1. Prolouge

**I promise I will finish Eternum one of these days, but until then I have discovered the goodness that is Connor and since going to Williamsburg, Virginia in September I have completely fallen in love with the place. There is Yorktown too, but we will go there eventually. For now I will have to settle with writing a character with class and poise. Sounds fun. **

**I do not own Connor or any historical figure that makes an appearance in this story. **

**So without further a due...I give you The Lady From Williamsburg **

**First Impressions go a long way...**

Lady Vitoria Caldwell sat across from her husband in their lavish coach, slowly making their way into Boston for the first time since the wedding. She sat quietly with her hands in her lap and her face downcast as the countryside passed outside. It was nearing late afternoon and they were just getting to the outer sections of the busy town.

She wasnt happy with this marriage, only because she was still very young and it had been her fathers dying wish that she marry James, who claimed to love her. Of course she could see how any man would claim to love her with her sapphire eyes and dark auburn hair, of course she was a prize. Though she was seventeen, she had yet to develop that womanly glow to her skin, which was something James would have much prefered, but he could not go wrong with a young bride when he was much older. In truth, Vitoria did not love him and on her wedding night she had asked one of the servants to slip a little poppy milk into her tea to help her relax. She had been so terrified. She was even terrified now to be sitting in his presence, but this was something she had to do.

The girl nervously fiddled with the lace on her dress, feeling a little tight in her chest when she felt James looking at her. She tried not to pay attention, only focusing on the sounds of Boston while caught up in her own worries. What would his comrades think of her? She knew absolutely nothing about them, only that they were important to James and he said they were important to the colonies. If it weren't for the cold air and the snow, she would have no excuse for her trembling hands, to which James noticed and put his hands atop hers.

"Do not worry My Dear, you look stunning in that blue dress, they will love you." James told her with reassurance in his voice and with a squeeze of his hands he sat back in his seat as the coach came to a stop outside of an inn. "Ah, just in time. Wait in here while I make sure everything is settled." She looked up at him as he opened the door and stepped out of the coach.

James was almost twenty years older than her and she despised that. She almost hated him with every fiber of her being and she knew why, but she couldn't help her nervousness. There was little she could do now to remedy the problem, she would have to bide her time and wait for the perfect moment. What she feared the most was that in time she would grow to love him, so she kept herself distant and silent. She didnt want to give him the child he wanted, so she drank the teas her servants suggested and prayed that he would not pester her for one any further.

She shivered as the cold air hit her from the door to the coach opening again revealing the young Benjamin Wilky. Vitoria sighed in relief as he smiled at her warmly. He was only three years older than her, but he was a good man, always looking out for her. Of course he was her cousin, though you would never be able to tell.

"Tori,you can come out now." His warm brown eyes gave her confidence as she reached out her hand to him and graciously stood from her seat. Ben took her hand in his and squeezed it as he helped her out, knowing that the long journey would have most likely turned her legs into wobbles. "There we go, dont let your legs get the best of you." He said as she set food on the cobblestone street of Boston. Vitoria's legs gave protest and she nearly collapsed if it not been for dear Benjamin.

Looking around she noticed many things that set Boston apart from her quiet Williamsburg. It was far busier in Boston and there were British soldiers everywhere, unlike her home in Virginia. She was unsettled by this, not quite trusting of any crown glorified red-coat. She wished she were back in Williamsburg, reading her books and chatting with Scully or even Emmett as they prepared the food for the evening meal. It was a shame that they could not be here, but then again, slaves were treated differently in Boston and she could not bare it if one of her friends became worse off.

The house in front of her wasnt as grand as the one she called home in her quiet town. It was brick and looked very much like the buildings in London, or what she could remember. She had been four and it was not long enough to remember everything. Her mother had mysteriously died and her father had smuggled her away to the colonies hoping to avoid any prosecution by the crown.

When her father had reached the Colonies, it was at first difficult, but after a while they had settled down nicely in a wonderful home. The people of Williamsburg, Virginia were very kind to her father and she was happy to grow up in such a wonderful place, besides the Governor running off in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. All in all, she loved Williamsburg and she wanted to go back to the way things were before James came into her life. Oh how she missed home.

Looking at Ben, Vitoria gave a curt nod before stepping forward on her way into the building where her husband waited. She was slightly nervous, but her father had taught her that a Lady should never be nervous on the outside, just on the inside. She missed him so and it almost brought tears to her eyes at the fond memories of his kind words to her, but she shoved them back into her heart as she made her way to the first step by the door. Ben ran up beside her last second to get the door for her, smiling as he did so.

"Let me get that Tori." He said with a smile and a glint in his eyes that gave her a little more courage, more than she had in the recent months and weeks. She was very brave and prudent when she was a child, always sticking her nose where it had not belonged and caused trouble.

Now, she was a wife and a silent one at that. Her husband scared her bravery away, causing her to be this timid little mouse amongst a thousand hawks when she wished she was an eagle that could fly away. Her happiness was not hers anymore and stepping through that door scared her so, even with Ben beside her. She felt his hand rest on her forearm as he opened the door for her, the smell of cider and pine greeted her giving her a warm feeling for only a moment before it all faded away; becoming dull again.

It was now or never.

Vitoria saw her husband walking toward her and she panicked inside. Gathering up all the air within her range and holding it in her lungs she gave him a small smile as he held his hand out to her, Ben's own hand leaving her arm. Oh how she wanted to hold on to Ben a little longer. She gave her cousin a panicked look as she was torn away and led into the house by James, her steps faltering at one point as he put his other hand atop the one linked to his arm.

"Come Darling, I promise they will not bite." James said with a chuckle at her lack of bravery in meeting his friends. They may not bite, but she couldn't help feel that she was being led to a pit of vipers or a pack of wolves. She didn't say anything or looked to him for comfort, only stared ahead of her as she walked.

She heard the voices in the room ahead of her, not paying attention to the color of the walls or even to the various paintings hung throughout the house. There was deep laughing and a conversation about the French, but none of that interested her. She was seen and not heard, which was fine with her.

"Gentlemen! We have guests." Everyone quieted at the man who announced Vitoria and James. He cleared his throat before motioning to the couple at the door and all of the men in the room were looking straight at her, making her want to hide away in a little room for the rest of her days. A pack of wolves after all, though not without at least one viper waiting for her as though she were something that was too good to be true.

"Ah James, very good to see you." One man came forward with a warm smile to shake her husband's hand. He was dressed oddly, but it didn't matter to her. He had a Irish accent and brown eyes that held honesty in them, but even honesty was in the eyes of a snake. She did not like it.

"William, it has been too long." James said releasing his hand and then motioning to Vitoria. "My wife, Vitoria." William nodded in respect to her.

"My Lady, it is nice to finally meet you." Vitoria curtsied, with a small smile, but didn't say a word as she was much too frightened. She knew she should not be, but she was. This man as charming as he was; was a wolf in sheep's clothing. "She doesn't speak much does she?"

"It has been a long journey for her, coming from Williamsburg and all. Maybe she should retire for the night." James said looking to another man who was standing near the table in the room. He looked like a distinguished gentleman from England, but from the stories her father told her, she knew that this was a man to be feared.

"I am sure we will all be introduced to the Lady Vitoria in the near future, but yes, she does look in need of rest." The man gave her a kind smile and then motioned for James to take her away like she was a prisoner. She looked back as James pulled her through the door, a feeling of dread creeping up her spine, giving her reason to hold her breath again.

"Vitoria, stop that now. You are being unreasonable." Her husband complained about her holding her breath again. "Stop acting like a child, they will not hurt you." His grip on her hardened as he drug her up the stairs. She squeezed her eyes shut at the discomfort, knowing that her husband was very capable of hurting her.

Why had her father wished this?

James opened the door to their room and roughly threw her in before shutting the door behind him and leaving her to herself. It was when she heard his footsteps become faint that she collapsed on the floor and cried.

It wasn't until early morning when she had felt James get into bed with her and began to kiss on her neck. The smell of alcohol was strong on his breath and she couldn't stand it. She pushed away from him, but he only grabbed her harder, putting his hand between her legs. This act made her gasp in shock and displeasure. She knew she couldn't get away and she knew that she had to be his wife because of the vow she made to God, so she just let him do. As much as it broke her heart further, she knew that this would be the first time she would ever curse her father.

When the sun rose, she rose with it and she wanted out. She quietly got out of bed and dressed herself the best she could without someone tightening her corset for her, even though when they did it for her it was always tighter than she would like. She wore her green dress with white lace and her brown shawl, leaving her hair in its unruly state of curls. She looked herself over in the mirror before walking quietly out of the door and making her way down the stairs. She was thankful that she had brought her riding boots with her, for riding gave her joy.

"My Lady, you are up quite early this morning. Is there something I can help you with?" A woman came to her from the kitchen, a basket of fresh bread in her arms and a smile on her face. Vitoria smiled back before speaking.

"Is there a stable master nearby? I would like to go riding this morning." She said with her British accent, trying not to sound prude or snobby.

"Oh yes, just a few blocks away there is a man by the name of David Clancy, he owns some fine horses. He breeds them himself you know, very fine creatures if I say so myself." That was all Vitoria needed to know before smiling wider.

"Thank you for the help, I really appreciate it." Vitoria said before her stomach growled in hunger. It was unusual for her to go without food in the mornings. "May I?" She looked at the bread in the maids arms, the smell of it making her ever so hungry.

"Of course Dear, no one is going to miss one roll of bread and if you would like there is cheese to spare in the kitchen whenever you feel the need for it." The older woman said giving her a knowing smile. In her eyes, Vitoria was still a child at heart and had still yet to grow up. "Now off you go, wouldn't want to keep those pretty creatures waiting." Vitoria did not need to hear it more than once as she grabbed a roll and nearly ran out the front door.

Once outside, she took in a breath of winter air, smiling as she did so. Her smile turning into a frown when she remembered last night and she shuddered, feeling disgusted. Why couldn't she have a gentle husband rather than James? It mattered not; it is what it is and could do nothing about it. She let the air out of her lungs and started to walk down the walkway to the street, taking a right when she saw the countryside the opposite direction from the city of Boston.

After a while of walking, she came to the farm where the pastures were filled with horses. All of them looked like English thoroughbreds, most of them bay in color, but there was one that caught her eye. The filly seemed to know that she was being watched and picked her head up from the pile of hay she was eating, the star on her head bright as the snow around them and her three white socks covered in a little mud. Vitoria saw the horse she wanted, a nice bay filly.

The seventeen year old walked down the path with purpose, intent on riding the horse of her dreams, but the first step was to get past the owner. The owner being a grumpy old man that had told her to go away when she first asked him about the filly, but she didn't let that get her down, she kept pestering him.

"I will let you ride Old Bess; she is the gentlest horse here." He pointed to the old grey mare in the pasture that stood next to the filly. "That filly is too wild for a lady like you; she would be a fine racer, not a riding horse." Vitoria huffed.

"With all due respect, Sir, I am not entirely sure you know what I can and cannot handle. If not her then let me ride something that can run." Even though she had her heart set on the filly, she wanted to feel the wind in her hair.

Within an hour, she was smiling atop her filly as they trotted away into the fields. The filly was nervous at first, being that this was her first time away from home, but once they were out in the open the bay filly was perfect. Vitoria smiled as she let the filly run, the wind rushing past her as the horse made her way towards a small wooded area. On the way they had pasts a regiment of Regulars. Their red coats cause the filly to give them a wide berth, but it didn't distract her too much.

After a long gallop, Vitoria had slowed the filly to a walk as they made it into the woods. She had no idea where she was, but it was okay, she wanted to be lost. She got down off the filly, her feet hitting the snow with a crunch. She patted the filly on her neck, feeling the sweat drying in the cold air and the steam coming off the horse. She pulled the reins over the filly's head and started to walk deeper into the woods, not knowing the dangers. It was very quiet with the snow muffling every sound nearby, causing Vitoria to finally feel at peace on the inside. She doubted she would feel this way again anytime soon and she knew that her husband would be furious with her, but she didn't care. She would rather be lost than in a loveless marriage to a husband who was very secretive on his own.

The filly stayed close, but her ears were flicking left and right, hearing something that Vitoria couldn't. It wasn't until the filly picked her head up suddenly and stopped in her tracks that Vitoria knew something wasn't right. When the filly became nervous and started tossing her head is when Vitoria noticed the sound of panting. She quickly tossed the reins over the filly's head and pulled herself up into the saddle with as much haste as her dress allowed. The filly reared up as a wolf ran out in front of her growling and showing its teeth, Vitoria nearly falling off the filly.

Wolves appeared behind them, snapping their teeth at the filly's hind legs, causing her to bolt forward and into the woods with Vitoria holding onto her mane. She had dropped the reins at some point, letting the filly fly to freedom with a pack of wolves after them, but freedom would never come as the filly collapsed out of exhaustion. Vitoria fell and landed in the snow not far away, unable to move as the filly laid there in the snow breathing hard and the wolves closing in on them both.

"No. Please don't hurt her!" The auburn haired girl said trying to get up and crawl to the filly, her new friend in her world of sadness and chaos. The wolves didn't care if she was friend or foe, they were hungry and they were not going to spare either of them. Vitoria was able to crawl to the filly, laying herself across the horse's sweaty neck and shoulder, protecting her friend. She looked up and saw a grey wolf snarling at her, ready to devour her in an instant so she closed her eyes. "It will all be over soon girl. I'm sorry I got you into this. I'm so sorry." She said to the filly before taking a deep breath, fear overtaking her bravery.

She waited, but nothing came except for the whinny of another horse and the _thunk_ of an arrow hitting flesh and bone. The sound of a wolf yelping in pain followed before she opened her eyes to see something she did not expect. A man dressed in white wearing a hood rode up on a grey horse with his bow in his right hand and an arrow in his left ready to take another wolf down. He notched it, and then let it loose into the flesh of another wolf that had come up behind her and the filly. She gasped, letting out an audible yelp herself as the wolves began to attack him.

He jumped off the horse, using his bow to fend off another wolf before putting it on his back and pulling out what looked like a knife, before the next wolf attacked. It leapt at him, but when it did, there was nothing but the sight of the wolf falling to the ground limp. Vitoria could only watch in awe as the man killed the wolves that were not smart enough to run away when they had met their match. She kept stroking the bay filly on the neck, keeping her calm as she breathed hard.

It had gone silent and then there were footsteps. It had started to snow again, the wind picking up through the bare trees made a slight howling sound, but it didn't matter as the stranger had inadvertently locked eyes with her and then the world stood still.

**Yes, I know, it's a little short and mostly about Vitoria in this chapter but hey…it's the first chapter. I know my character's don't normally start off this…young, but this is the first time I'm writing a main character in their teens (I don't like writing teenagers, it gives me flashbacks to when I was a stupid teenager) for the most part she will be a teen for a little while, not long. Connor is a little older than her as this is a year after the Boston Massacre. **

**Also, this is part of a new series I am doing called **_**Women of Courage**_**. I am thinking about taking Eternum down for a redo or maybe not and taking it down for good. I'm not sure as I have a lot of projects that I have to finish. **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Stolen Cookie…The Phone Writer!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Well, I have to say that (damn these fake fingernails, you cant do shit with them on) things are off to a good start and I will be posting as often as I can...and this will include another story that I am working on. Anyway, let's get on with it.**

He had been on his way to Boston, staying off the main roads and keeping to the woods to keep out of trouble like Achilles had told him, but trouble always seemed to find him. It wasn't his fault really; he was a little socially awkward given that he was raised away from the Pale-face culture. He had no understanding before he had gone to the Homestead, but granted, he was learning.

Before him, sitting in the snow was a girl no older than he was.

She was stroking the exhausted horse that laid next to her, the beast still breathing heavily and wide eyed. He let out a breath and stepped forward, but as he did she held her breath waiting for him to do something terrible to her. He was a killer, but not of the innocent so he didn't know how to express that to her. He calmly held a hand up as he got closer and as he did she watched his every move with fear behind her sapphire eyes. He could see her shivering with the cold wind and snow, her auburn hair being tussled in the wind, a color he had never seen before.

"It is alright, I am not going to hurt you." He said gently, knowing that he probably did not sound that way to her. He was not good at showing emotions except anger, which he rarely showed on basis. It was a common trait with his people, so was being quiet unless he really had something that was worth saying.

She flinched away as he knelt down next to the horse, putting a hand on her neck and stroking it. He began to undo the saddle on the horse, giving her room to breathe a little more so she could recover faster. He tossed the saddle aside then began to check the horse's legs, making sure they were not damaged in any way, which they were not. He did all of this as the girl watched on in silence, not sure of him and his ministrations.

"She will be fine, she just needs rest." He said to the girl, looking up at her. It hadn't occurred to him that the reason she was frightened was because of his hood, so he pulled it down and revealed his face to her completely. The breath she was holding visibly came out of her in the form of steam. "Are you alright?" It was concern for her because of the cold. She didn't say anything.

He stood up and moved back to his horse, pulling out a blanket from his saddle and shook the snow off of it. It was one of the blankets he had taken with him from his village before going to the Homestead, one of the last things his mother had made for him. The blanket was beautiful, full of deep earthen tones, but very warm with its hare fur lining. He didn't mind using it for the girl at the moment; it was getting colder as the storm was making its way in. He had known this was going to happen, which is why he left early, but sometimes the weather had a mind of its own.

Vitoria watched the young man pull the blanket from his saddle, seeming to actually want to help her, but she had heard stories of the Natives in this part of the world. In Williamsburg, there were still descendants of the Powhattan tribe living on the outskirts of her home and some still living in Jamestown on the marshes, but this Native wasn't at all what they had said. He had lighter skin than she recalled any Native having and he wore more colonial attire, of course there were some indications of his heritage. The feathers and the tomahawk were enough, even the bow and quiver on his back were indications, but he was very different.

Her heart was going a million kilometers a second and if she didn't pass out in the snow, she was sure that it was going to explode in her chest. She was cold and she was scared, two combinations that she wasn't sure she would survive either. She couldn't speak, even if she wanted too, being too afraid of him. As he came back to her, she found herself ready to bolt, but her feet felt like they were heavy stones.

"What is your name?" He asked, trying to get her to feel a little comfortable, enough so that he could at least get the blanket around her. He had already come around to her, ready to place the blanket on her shoulders, but she was not ready for it and tried to bolt.

Her ankle had popped and she felt pain radiate up her leg, causing her to fall in the snow once more and cry out in pain. Why did this happen to her? Did she displease God enough for this to happen? She sat up, tears starting to come down her cheeks and her hands turning numb from the cold, she was utterly hopeless. Everything had gone downhill since her father died and it was getting worse. She closed her eyes, silently praying that she would get out of this alive when she felt warmth wrap around her shoulders.

Vitoria looked down and saw that the blanket had been wrapped around her and out of instinct she pulled it tighter with her numb hands. She just sat in the snow, the young man walking back to her filly and murmuring things in his native language to the horse, encouraging her to breathe slower. She turned her head to look over her shoulder as the wind began to pick up more, as she did, the filly was sitting up. The man was standing with the reins in his hand, waiting for the filly to stand and start walking.

The auburn haired girl turned away from the wind as best as she could, watching the filly struggle to get up herself. Her heart pounded, hoping that the filly would stand so she wouldn't have to leave her here to the wolves. She nearly leapt for joy when the filly put out her front leg and pushed herself up on all four legs, the man rubbing her on the forehead for praise. Still Vitoria remained silent as the man walked the horse over to her.

"She will be fine." He said looking down at her with the horse standing next to him. She looked up at him with thanks in her eyes, but she was still unable to get a word out, but he understood. She hated this new habit of not being able to say what was on her mind when she was in a situation like this. Fear made her silent. "This storm is getting worse; I have to get you home." He held out his hand to her, but she stayed frozen in that spot not sure of his intentions once more.

She shook her head.

"I don't want to go home." She said with a small ounce of courage coming up from where it was buried. He seemed to understand, but then he was surprised when she put her hand in his. "My name is Vitoria." She said in sadness as he pulled her up, careful not to make her put weight on her ankle.

"Connor." He said before picking her up. She let out a gasp, squirming a little before putting her arms around his neck. "Trust me." She looked at him, their eyes meeting as that small amount of courage came again. She nodded silently as Connor began walking towards his horse, which stood patiently with his tail to the wind and his head down.

Not much later they were on Connor's horse, trudging through the wind and snow, the filly following them closely. Vitoria was sitting in front of the young man, keeping as close to him as possible for warmth, but she still had yet to fully dowse her fear. She hated how timid she had become; not being able to speak for herself anymore as her husband had almost beat it out of her.

Connor had put his hood back up and she had put the blanket around her so that she would have somewhat of a hood herself, if only to keep her from getting sick. Connor had given her a reassuring glance every once and a while, at least to let her know that she was okay and that it was okay to be afraid. One day she promised she would repay him for his kindness, even if it was never verbally spoken, she said it with her timid heart. He had saved her life and she owed him a debt that she would be sure to make due on.

They had made it out of the woods and she could see the horse farm in the distance, knowing that the filly's owner would probably never let her see the horse again after what had happened. She prayed that one day she would see the filly again if that happened. The filly had quickly become her friend even though she hadn't ridden her much.

"Connor, can you bring me to the farm over there?" She asked and he didn't say a word about the request, thinking it would be better if he did as she asked rather than taking her directly home. He may as well see to his horse while he was there. He turned his horse towards the farm and picked up the pace.

As they had gotten closer, Vitoria could hear shouting and see her husband's coach parked outside of the barn. She grabbed onto Connor as she saw James walk out holding his hand and flexing his fingers before looking up strait at them. Connor slowed his horse to a walk, the filly almost colliding with his horse for not paying attention. Seconds later David Clancy came walking out with his hand over his right eye. Vitoria looked up at Connor with a fearful gaze, one that seemed to say 'run away'. He ignored it and looked James in the eye with a cold hard gaze, knowing exactly who this was. The words 'Templar' came to mind when Connor saw him.

Pulling the horses to a halt in front of James, Connor dismounted and then grabbed Vitoria, setting her down. As soon as she was on the ground James grabbed her, forcing her into the barn with his hand around the back of her neck. Connor watched in awe as this man treated the girl like she was a horse.

Vitoria couldn't get away and her ankle hurt so badly. James was seething in anger and she did not want to turn around to see his face. She was thrown into an empty horse stall where she landed on her face in clean straw, feeling that fear come up once again.

"You bitch. How dare you leave!" James had yelled at her then left for a moment, coming back with a wooden riding stick in his hand, used for beating a horse. Tears started coming down her face as he ripped Connor's blanket from her and ripping her dress down the back, exposing her delicate skin. "You will never leave me again!" She heard him say and then braced herself as he began to use the riding stick on her.

She cried out as the first hit landed on her back, forcing her to shut her eyes and then another hit, this one harder than the first. After three she prayed that she would be knocked unconscious after, but the fourth one never came.

Connor had grabbed the man's wrist as he set to hit Vitoria the fourth time, wrenching the riding stick away from him and throwing it aside before punching him in the gut. James had groaned before hitting the ground, seeing stars in his vision no doubt, but that was only half of it. From what David had said Vitoria was this man's wife. If that was true, then why did he beat her to no end? The young man heard the girl whimpering in pain as she laid there on the straw face down, the blanket not far away and the red welts on her back. He could see the last one was hard enough to split skin and cause blood to seep out of her.

He went to the blanket as she tried to sit up on her knees, picking it up and putting it around her once more, not caring if her blood had gotten on it. She needed something to cover her. Vitoria whimpered as he picked her up, bringing her out of the barn and walking past David to the coach. The driver opened the door for Connor and he gently set her inside, careful not to irritate her back even further.

"Take her home, she needs healing." Connor said to the older driver, who nodded with a sad look. Before he turned away, Connor felt Vitoria grab his sleeve and looked up to her tear filled eyes.

"Thank you, Connor." She said gently to him. He nodded in return, releasing her hold on him before walking off. James had come running out of the barn seconds later, grabbing onto the coach and pulling himself in with Vitoria.

The young man watched as the driver whipped the horses into a canter, getting Vitoria home as fast as possible, which is the only thing that he cared about. He had saved her twice in one day and wasn't sure if he would forget about her, but he pushed that in the back of his mind before going attend to the horses.

"I know I shouldn't have let her go, but it wasn't her fault and she didn't have to be beaten for it." David said coming up to Connor still holding his eye. The young man nodded, seeing that made him angry. "It is a good thing you found her Connor; otherwise he would've killed her."

"No man should beat his wife." The assassin said, thinking that this was a very dishonorable act against any one.

"You're right there, Boy. I have never lifted a finger to my Margaret, even if she made me angry. It's downright disturbing I'll say." David said defending the girl that was moments before lying down face first in a horse stall in his barn. "Well, enough of that, I've got horses to tend to. Oh, and that red mare over there is ready for trade if Achilles wants. I'll take that bay mare for her."

"What about the bay filly?" Connor motioned to the horse Vitoria had ridden. "I need a new hunter." David nodded getting the message.

"Aye, she would be a great hunter. I'm sure she can outrun anything and I was hoping to sell her to those racing folks down in Virginia, but if you're offering, I'll sell." David said, finally taking his hand away from his eye revealing a very dark bruise around it. "That's going to leave a bloom'n mark. Margaret is going to kill me." Connor looked at him strangely, still not use to hearing expressions like that. "You know, I owe you for that tussle that you got me out of a few months ago, so she's yours. I could've lost all of my horses, but you were able to talk the regulars out of taking all of them." Connor nodded as David held out his hand.

"Deal." The young man said before going attend to his horses.

James was pacing, it had been hours past dark when he had left for a meeting and now he was pacing in front of Charles Lee and William Johnson. Both men were very intent on getting full details about what James had said, but he had yet to calm down enough for them to get details.

He had come in going on about some man in white riding up with his wife wrapped in a native blanket. Of course the man in white was a Native himself, so it was very interesting. Both men sitting down looked at one another, deciding if it was best to give Haytham this information or not. In the end, both men agreed that this was a precursor to a problem and it would have to be nipped in the bud.

James was quite pleased with the plan, though he wished he didn't have to use his wife as bait, but it would work. The Native would most likely follow her or she would follow him, it was perfect. Until then, they would have to wait for her to recover.

Vitoria was cold and in pain, so much pain that even her lungs hurt. It had been days since the incident in the woods and when she had met Connor. She constantly thought of her filly, wondering what had become of her when she got home, but that was another matter for later. Currently she was on bed rest with fever, drifting in an out of sleep, wishing she was home in Williamsburg over and over again.

She did not want to be in bed any longer, but she feared her husband more than she cared to admit. He forbade her to even leave the room until spring, then she was to go home and he was to go to Philadelphia. She didn't want to go home until she was able to speak to Connor again and if she couldn't speak to him, she would at least write. She would write him now if she were able to get out of bed, but she was too weak.

Wilhemina would come in every now and then with a broth for her to eat, but that was the only company she had. She enjoyed speaking with the maid, but she missed being outside and she missed the filly.

When she was able to get over the fever, Vitoria tried sneaking out to ride, but James would always put a stop to it. He would grab her and drag her back up to her room, locking her in for a week, but she would always try again. He had been furious with her when he discovered she had the maids give her Lace tea to prevent pregnancy and had each one of them harshly reprimanded. He had also gone to bed with Vitoria every night since then.

She feared it wouldn't be long before her womb grew with life.

When spring came, she was allowed to finally be outside when there was no sign of Connor. She had figured that he had moved on to another place, but it wouldn't matter, within a week she would leave for home and home was so far away. Vitoria had walked to the horse farm of David Clancy once again, but today there were no horses in the pastures. She ran to the barn to see if they were in there, but the stalls were all empty.

"They took them all. Goddamn Red Coats." David had come up behind her and she turned around with a tear stained cheek. He felt sorry for her. "They paid little to nothing for all of them."

"What about the filly?" Vitoria asked, hoping that her precious friend hadn't been taken to war. Her heart was pounding like a galloping horse.

"No, she was spared, gave her to a friend for safe keeping up on the Davenport Homestead." David said, with a small smile. "Is your husband still in Boston?" She shook her head as she played with the lace on her red dress. "Good, I have a letter for you from that friend. You best read it in private." He handed the parchment over to her and then left her to it.

When she was alone she had opened the letter, walking around the barn with her fingers to her lips, reading the words written on the page. It was from Connor and he was explaining to her that he had taken the filly as a payment for helping David a few months before that day in the woods. He wrote that the filly was in good health and was learning to be a hunter so she would earn her keep. There was no need to worry about her and that she would meet her again one day. For now Vitoria felt that she owed Connor so much that she would have to give him more than she had to offer.

Her heart felt relieved that the filly was fine and in good hands, but it still didn't solve the problem of going home to Williamsburg without her new friend. She stood up and ran out of the barn, running all the way back to the house she was staying in. Running up the stairs to her room she pulled out her stationary and began to write.

She thanked Connor once more and asked him to write her more often. She told him that she was going home to Williamsburg where he should visit when he had the time, but knew that he rarely went that way. She asked him if they could be friends, only because she was so isolated with her controlling husband, who kept her away all winter. On the last line of her letter, she asked him one last favor.

_Name the filly Diana for me._

If her friend was to be a hunter, she should have a name worthy of it.

An hour later, Vitoria had handed the letter to David for delivery. The old man took it and smiled as the girl left, thinking that the next time he saw her, she would be a remarkable woman.

**So, second chapter…short again, but I just couldn't take the awkwardness anymore. I have to move on and get Vitoria to grow up a little more. She is being a silly teenager and refusing to clean her act up and get with the program. **

**Anyway, thank you LurkingLady for the review! **

**As they say your characters are like your children…you have to teach them lessons and encourage them to grow up. Vitoria is not growing up fast enough.**

**With Love…**

**Stolen Cookie**


End file.
